---
tags: ["C"]
---

Basically, a technical term from the C standard for anything stored in memory.
(In practice, interchangeable with 'variable' or 'memory'.)

Inclusive of variables, structs, [arrays](./Arrays_in_C.md), array entities
`arr[2]` etc.

To be distinguished from entities which do not exist in memory such as type
definitions, [macros](./Macros_in_C.md'), things that are handled by the
pre-processor.

Where "memory" can be thought of **anything that survives compilation**.

They have nothing to do with "complex data types" that we would associate with
OOP.